Tasting Apples
by Aries Draco
Summary: PostDoC, relating to CC. Genesis has a task to complete, Weiss has to assist him. Add a dose of divine intervention and they're on their way to save 'him'. Damn Angeal and his damned bleeding heart. *updated finally! *
1. On your mind

Tasting Apples

::If only I knew what was on your mind::

There were coffee stains on the wall. Weiss blinked groggily, watching as they resolved themselves into the ugly brown flowers. There was something fundamentally wrong about the flowers, he mused, still in a state of half-waking, but he just could not put his finger on it. Was it because they were such a repulsive shade of brown, or was it because some had been decorated with cigarette burns?

Could it possibly be because there had never been any wallpaper in Deepground?

Snapping awake, he sat up in the too soft bed, regretting it almost instantly when the room began to dance. He hadn't felt so out of it since…

Since he died.

The realisation startled him, but, in that moment, the memory fell away, leaving him with only a lingering sense of unease. Eyes shut, Weiss tried to tune out the blood pounding in his ears. _What had he forgotten that was so important a moment ago?_ When the sound of his heartbeat slowed and he could think a little more clearly, he realised that there were more pressing matters.

Where was he? What was he doing here? How did he get here? Where were the others? Could he contact them?

Now that the room wasn't attempting the jive, he could take a better look at his surroundings. The disgusting wallpaper covered every wall of the fair sized room. It wasn't big, but he'd seen worse. For all the poor decoration, the room itself was at least clean. Clean to the point that it didn't look lived in. Had he come here alone, then?

No.

There was another bed between him and the door, one that had been made with soldier-like precision. The sheets were pulled taut and the faded pink blanket lay flawlessly smooth on top. It gave the impression of lifeless perfection: it was something Weiss himself would have felt compelled to do.

How had he come here? Not through a fight, no matter how his body protested. Any enemy strong enough to take him down would have just killed him. They certainly wouldn't have cleaned him up and tucked him into bed. Was it by choice, then? But he would never have left Deepground alone. But what if he wasn't alone? The other person here could be N…

It couldn't be Nero. Somehow, Weiss knew this with frightening conviction. Nero just couldn't be here.

He scanned the room again. The heavy curtains were drawn, letting only slivers of light through for illumination. Was it done for privacy, or for the sake of his eyes? Or was he simply reading into something that wasn't there?

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of red. An enemy...? No, just a garment draped over the back of a chair. But why would something like that trigger such a deep sense of unease? Red... Rosso? She'd never really been a threat to him: there was a very good reason why _he_ was the one leading Deepground. Then who? And how did he know that it had to be a person? Once more, the memory skittered around the edges of his consciousness, so tantalisingly close, yet so frustratingly elusive.

Holding his head again, Weiss's gaze alighted on the bedside table. Someone had laid out an empty glass, a jug full of clear water and a purple apple, all within easy reach. Seeing the water made Weiss feel his thirst, but, as he reached out for the jug, he spied something that was far more important: a note, held down by the apple.

"In case you awaken while I am away, have a drink and an apple. It's refreshing, and, if nothing, it will pass the time. – G"

'G'. Genesis. Their 'elder brother'. He didn't know whether to feel worried or comforted. All he knew of Genesis was from the reports, and it seemed like Genesis was never a pleasant person to work with. There was, of course, the little matter of Genesis being catatonic and safely sealed away, last he checked.

So Genesis was awake and he was with Genesis, for goodness knew whatever reason in goodness knows where. As if that wasn't enough, there was still the matter of his strangely uncooperative memory. He wasn't used to feeling this disoriented or confused, not ever. It felt almost like there was some dark fog infiltrating his mind and hiding things...

Weiss shook his head. He could postulate till the end of time and still be unable to reach an explanation. Testing his legs, he noted that it would be at least another day before he trusted himself on his feet. Annoying, but it could hardly be helped. For the moment, all he could do was to wait. Settling down, he helped himself to the apple.

---

One would have thought that being essentially dead would give you some peace. However, it seemed that peace wasn't something SOLDIERs were allowed to have, not even in a near death state, if his experience was anything to judge by. Of course, it could also have been because Angeal had a martyr-complex the size of the Northern Crater.

The message had been garbled at first, nothing more than flashes of intent, of emotion, of a strong desire to save something. The world, maybe? It was very much like Angeal, and he thought nothing of it, putting it down to nostalgia. However, as time wore on, it became apparent that the voice in his head was indeed his childhood friend. His very persistent childhood friend. The message got clearer and clearer, though Angeal never did. It was as though the man was putting every effort into just getting the message across.

_'Save him.'_

Sometimes, he really hated Angeal and his Planet-damned bleeding heart. If that idiot had just gone quietly, he wouldn't have been stuck pondering the meaning behind such cryptic messages. As a friend, he felt some lingering sense of duty to help Angeal out, _some lingering sense of guilt for insisting that they were both monsters_, but as task revealed itself in ridiculously obtuse parts, it got harder and harder to hold on to that feeling.

_'Save him.'_

The only reason why he was here now on his fool's errand was because _darling_ Angeal was not above guilt-trips, not when they got in the way of his bloody martyr-complex. And, as confusing as it was, he knew that he had only two choices: to be led on or to be led into madness.

---

Weiss was dozing fitfully, chasing half-remembered nightmares involving way too much red, when he heard the door open. Still pretending to be asleep, he carefully manoeuvred himself into a position where he could see the door. Light blinded him for a moment, causing an instinctive recoiling.

"I see you're finally awake." The room was plunged back into blissful darkness, while Genesis stalked over to the desk, dumping something on the other bed on his way in. Weiss watched him turn on the table lamp, prepared this time for the light.

So this was Genesis. It was somewhat disappointing, really. The ex-SOLDIER had looked much more imposing when he had been dressed in his customary red coat. He wasn't particularly built, his narrow frame creating the impression that he was smaller than he really was, though for sure he was as tall as Weiss. His features could almost be described as 'pretty', if not for their sharpness and the slight cruel curve to his lips. Half-lit by the table lamp, there was almost certainly something sinister in those glowing blue eyes.

"How do you feel?" asked Genesis, without so much concern as impatience, as though he was just some subordinate to talk down to. The attitude made Weiss bristle. Brother or not, no one talked to him like that.

"Sore."

It gave him a certain amount of satisfaction to see the annoyance crossing that almost-pretty face. Well, if Genesis wanted a full report, he was going to have to ask for it politely. Weiss owed him nothing.

"Doesn't matter anyway. I don't need you yet."

The careless dismissal was like a slap to the face. "I'm not yours to use," replied Weiss testily, sitting up straight. "I'm not going to be a pawn aga..."

_Again_.

The tension in the room was palpable as the two men glared at each other. Finally, grudgingly, Genesis looked away, getting up to turn on the room light properly this time. Weiss was mildly surprised. It would seem that Genesis really needed him if the man was willing to swallow his pride like that.

Now that the room was lit, it was easy to see the black shape lying on the other bed. Judging by its dimensions, it was most likely human, which led to the question, what the hell was Genesis trying to do?

"I'm going to get some food," announced Genesis, examining the black shape briefly rather than meeting Weiss's questioning eyes. "This thing shouldn't be waking up anytime soon, and even if it does, it shouldn't trouble you."

Weiss made no response, which merely led to Genesis leaving the room in equally frigid silence.

He was rather curious, actually, but he wasn't going to let anyone use that against him, especially after Genesis proved himself a complete jerk. If he was going to find anything out, it looked like he would have to find out for himself. Carefully, he began to get off the bed, trusting that he could make it to the other bed at the very least. It was then he noticed another problem: he was stark naked.

Genesis. His opinion of the man was dropping by the second. Scowling, Weiss wrapped the pink blanket around his waist and made his way over to the other bed, determined to have at least one of his questions answered. What was this _thing_ that Genesis had left him with?

Silver-haired, pale-skinned, clad in black leather. A child?

---

He always hated working with people. They had a tendency to get in his way, and he had little patience for obstructions.

That introduction could have gone a little better, but he was tired. The body had stabilised, but he was nowhere near his peak, in terms of endurance. It didn't help that he hadn't slept in two days. Two days. Exactly how long it took for him to retrieve that thing that was now taking up his bed.

He didn't particularly look forward to going back to sleep either. In the past week, Angeal had been relentless. Still incoherent, still random, with only the pulse of intent.

_'Save him.'_

The Deepground soldier was important. That creature he'd picked up was important. Data was important. Equipment, location, his personal involvement: everything. It was like being forced to put together a puzzle in the dark while being passed the pieces one at a time.

He just wished someone would turn on the light.

---

301007


	2. For the show

Tasting Apples

:One for the money, two for the show:

"_Genesis isn't with you?"_

"_Genesis? You mean you're not pleased to see me?"_

"_That wasn't what I…" _

_A laugh. "Don't worry, I'm only joking…" Sometimes, Sephiroth just took things too seriously. "He wanted to do a few more drills, so he'll come in a bit later."_

"_Ah. I see."_

_It was a pleasant surprise, being able to meet up like this. Their schedules tended to clash, since they were all highly visible people, and Shinra wanted them everywhere at once, especially Sephiroth. To be able to sit down for lunch together was a blessing. _

"_You've known each other since you were kids, right?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Genesis…"_

"_Oh. Yea."_

"_Then…"_

_Sephiroth seemed rather distracted, tugging absently at a stray lock of hair._

"_Hm?"_

"_Never mind, it's nothing."_

_There was definitely something there. "What's wrong?"_

"_Does he… does Genesis hate me?"_

_A hesitation. "Why would you think that?"_

"_Sometimes, when we're training, it feels like he's really trying to kill me…"_

Because I was, idiot.

--

He woke with the impression of someone's disappointment. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was. His wing was aching and so was his head. That's right. After bringing some bread and cheese up for Weiss, he had promptly gone and gotten utterly smashed. He figured that he deserved it. After all, all he had been doing since he awakened was to collect the pieces of the puzzle that Angeal was trying to fix. It had been a week, and enough was enough. Too bad not even the alcohol could drown out his 'best friend's' voice.

'_Save him.'_

If it hadn't been obvious before, it was obvious now who Angeal wanted him to save. Fine, so they talked about him behind his back. He didn't miss that pause and he didn't miss the fact that his so-called best friend didn't exactly defend him. Or enlighten the stupid bugger. No, because Angeal obviously liked Sephiroth enough not to want to push him away.

Angeal. They had been... well, 'friends' was one way to put it. 'Life-long companions' was probably closer to the reality of it. They'd known each other since they were in diapers, tied by their common involvement in Project G, though it was more than twenty years later before they found out that little tidbit. Angeal had been such a constant presence in his life that he never realized it until Angeal wasn't there anymore.

Not that he missed the bugger or anything. They were only so close because they were tied to Project G. Everything was engineered so that the two experiments could be observed together. Even their friendship… was the consequence of that engineering? No… Angeal was always Angeal, prideful, noble, perfect little Angeal. _His_.

No, not his. He never wanted _that_. Even when Angeal confessed…

Genesis shook his head violently. He needed another drink. That was hardly possible, however, seeing as he was currently sprawled in an alleyway he didn't remember coming to. Growling, he reigned in his raging headache and stretched his screaming wing before attempting to find his feet. Odd. The SOLDIER metabolism pretty much assured him hangover-free drinking, but it seemed that whatever processes were finally responsible for the stabilization of his body weren't so forgiving.

There. Feet safely planted on ground. What was he going to do again? Oh, yes, standard checks. His clothes were intact, he wasn't feeling any pain in strange places and his wallet… had been relieved of its contents. Fantastic. That meant that he had to go on another killing spree. Not that he really minded at this point in time. Right. Kill monsters for gil. What was he forgetting?

After wrecking his mind for several painful minutes, Genesis gave up. If he couldn't remember, it wasn't important.

--

That thing hadn't woken up.

Weiss had found himself feeling much better in the morning, well enough, in fact, to be able to rush to the bathroom to attend to certain bodily functions. Once that was out of the way, he found time to note that Genesis appeared to have been out all night and that he hadn't left any clothes out for Weiss. Without clothes, there was little he could do other than to pace the room.

Which, of course, led him to acutely notice that black shape taking up Genesis's bed. Or, at least, he assumed that Genesis had intended to sleep on that bed at some point in time.

That thing looked like a person, breathed like a person, but otherwise behaved just like a corpse. Its unseeing eyes were half open, a glimmering emerald green, and it didn't react to sight, sound or 

even touch. Its skin felt like cool marble, smooth, and too firm for human skin. What the hell was it anyway? And what did Genesis want with it?

He pondered it because his mind refused to let him think about his own situation. Here he was, essentially a prisoner of that arrogant ex-SOLDIER who probably had some nefarious plans involving him and that black-clad thing. Quick peeks out of the window told him that he was in some quiet town somewhere, which might as well have been no information at all. He had no idea how he'd ended up in the possession of his 'brother', and of what happened to the rest of Deepground

…_THEY'RE __**ALL**__ DEAD…_

Once more, something skittered at the edge of his memory and vanished into the black fog. Weiss punched the wall in annoyance, noting with some dissatisfaction that it was barely dented.

The last thing he could clearly remember was falling ill. It had been their little secret, him and Nero, as they worked to find a cure through the network. Then, one day, he closed his eyes

_...and died…_

and then his memory turned into cheesecloth. Speaking of which…

The bread and cheese the ex-SOLDIER brought back the night before was barely enough for one meal, and though Weiss had been unable to eat most of it then, he'd polished it off in the morning, leaving him with no sustenance, just a jug of clear water.

As a result, when Genesis finally returned some time past noon, he was greeted by a dangerously bored and ravenous Weiss.

--

Oh, so that was what he forgot.

Probably. It could have been something more important, but nothing so pressing. He couldn't keep forgetting to feed his tools, otherwise he'd never be able to complete his mission and Angeal would slowly drive him insane. He wouldn't even be able to escape by committing suicide, because all life went back into the lifestream and guess where Angeal was?

A quick phone call brought room service. At first, he had been adamant that no one came into the room, but now that Weiss was awake and they were about ready to move on, he didn't see the problem anymore. If only all human interactions could be dealt with by throwing food at the other party. The world would have been a simpler place.

They didn't speak; he saw no need to volunteer information. From what he could observe, it would seem that Weiss was still disoriented. It would be to his advantage if he could keep it that way. He was pretty certain by now what he needed the Deepground soldier for, and it would take a bit of travelling. Keeping Weiss interested in following him seemed like an easier strategy than, oh, say, tying him up and dragging him along. He didn't need to carry two pieces of dead weight.

"'My friend, your desire/Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess'," he murmured.



"Poetry?" commented Weiss, reminding him that he wasn't the only person in the room. Genesis roused himself from his thoughts glancing briefly at the dead weight taking up space on his bed before turning to look at Weiss.

"'Loveless'. It's a great story," he replied, taking in the look of bemusement on the white-haired man's face. How oddly familiar.

And sickening. The sooner he got this thing over with, the better. "Once you are fed, we have to move," he announced.

"Like this?" asked Weiss sarcastically, gesturing to the pink blanket he still wore around his waist.

It was so tempting to say 'yes'.

--

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End file.
